Module 5: Preparing for the Behavioral Interview

Objective

By the end of this module, you will learn what a behavioral interview is and will prepare answers to common questions.

Individual Activities

In this module, you will prepare answers to a few commonly asked questions to jump-start your preparation. In general, your answers should be concise and include relevant and engaging details.  Consider what you have learned from your experiences and how they have helped you improve the way you function in your work.  Many times, a story may be reframed to answer more than one question. Ideally, you will generate a bank of stories that you can rely on and modify as needed to answer a range of interview questions. Tips on using the STAR technique to answer job interview questions | Jobs and Careers at Enterprise

  1. Read OCS’s tips and watch this OCS video on the behavioral interview.  Learn about the STAR (STAR = situation, task, action, result) framework, which is a useful device for structuring your answers.
  2. Review lists of commonly asked behavioral interview questions to familiarize yourself with the format and range of questions you might be asked in an interview setting.
  3. Use this worksheet and the STAR framework to develop at least one story to answer each of the questions below. We highly recommend you video record your answer! It will help you self-review your verbal and body language.
    1. Tell me about a time when you successfully worked with a team
    2. Tell me about a conflict you had and how you resolved it

Group Activities

  1. The best thing to do in order to prepare for a behavioral interview is to practice, practice, practice! Take turns working as a group or break into pairs to practice your answers to the following questions:
    1. Tell me about a time when you successfully worked with a team
    2. Tell me about a conflict you had and how you resolved it
  2. Provide feedback:
    1. What are you learning about the other person’s skills, attitude, adaptability, and ability to manage difficult circumstances or work in a team?
    2. Why does the story help you understand why this person would be a strong contributor in the workplace?
    3. Is the story engaging and captures your attention?
  3. If time remains, then choose additional behavioral questions from this list to practice.

Additional Resources & Information

If you are looking for more advice and ways to practice behavioral interview questions, take a look at the resources below.

Optional Activity

Use the STAR framework to develop answers to additional interview questions that you haven’t yet covered. You may create a “story bank” for future use.